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SALT LAKE CITY — Tena Rummage's 42-year-marriage to Randy Rummage was cut short by someone driving under the influence of prescription drugs.
On the afternoon of Dec. 15, 2013, Randy Rummage was broadsided by a vehicle that failed to stop at a red light in Springville. Rummage later died from his injuries.
The Rummage family and the Utah Department of Transportation will release a new video titled "Randy's Story" to raise awareness about the growing trend of drug-impaired driving fatalities.
"We wanted to share our story to make people aware of the problem that is here in Utah, of driving under the influence of prescription medication," Tena Rummage said. "It was our hope that we would educate people that driving irresponsibly can be deadly and dangerous."
Drug-impaired fatalities are on the rise in Utah, jumping from 43 in 2011 to 53 in 2013; 48 deaths were recorded in 2014, according to Gary Mower, research analyst for Utah Department of Public Safety.
He said that fatalities caused by drug-impaired drivers represented 17.7 percent of road fatalities in 2011, 24.1 percent in 2013 and 18.8 percent in 2014. UDOT said Utah's deaths are reflective of national trends.
In 2014, there were slightly more drivers in fatal accidents that tested positive for drugs of some kind, rather than alcohol fatalities, according to the Utah Fatal Crash Summary 2014 from the Utah Department of Public Safety.
The report said that 14.6 percent of drivers in fatal accidents tested positive for drugs; 13.5 percent tested over the legal blood-alcohol limit and 4 percent tested positive for both drugs and alcohol.
The driver in Rummage's case showed the presence of benzodiazepines, opiates and oxycodone, charging documents stated. He was charged with third-degree automobile homicide, with no other drug-related charges, and was sentenced to serve five years in prison in 2014.
Brooke Simpson, Tena and Randy Rummage's daughter, said warnings for prescription drugs must be followed.
"We want to share our dad's story — Randy's Story —in an effort of bringing awareness to the deadly reality of driving impaired under the influence of prescription medication," Simpson said. "And to hopefully save another family from the tremendous heartache and pain that we are faced with every day because of this tragedy."
Trooper Jason Marshall, who coordinates the drug recognition experts program for the state of Utah, said officers who stop individuals who seem to be under the influence of something other than alcohol can call in officers who are drug recognition experts to determine if the person is under the influence of drugs.
"They go through a 12-step process that looks at both physical impairment as well as clinical signs such as pupil size, blood pressure, pulse, and the psychosomatic physical motor test," Marshall said.
These drug recognition experts go through two weeks of classroom training, as well as a week of hands-on training, according to Marshall. The program began in the early 1990s and there are currently 155 drug recognition experts throughout the state. Email: chlarson@deseretnews.com Twitter: cdlarson15g
